According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "hypertext" is defined as "a computer-based text retrieval system that enables the user to provide access to or gain information related to a particular text."
This definition of hypertext implies a text-only system. At least two online writing experts have different views:
Jakob Nielsen (1995) prefers using the term "hypertext" for systems
that include other media such as graphics, video, sound, and animation.
He uses the terms "hypertext" and "hypermedia" interchangeably to denote such systems.
William Horton (1994) uses the term "hypertext" for topics only
consisting of text and simple graphics.
He reserves the term "hypermedia" for topics that contain text as well as complex graphics and other media. Horton defines a related term, "multimedia," as a mixture of these media, the elements of which are usually presented in a linear sequence.
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Last Updated: May 2, 2001
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